Over the years, many locks have been developed for use on or with a bicycle to prevent loss or unauthorized taking of the bicycle. The most common locks take many different shapes, have various locking elements or means, and are generally used with a chain or cable which is looped through the bicycle and attached to a secure post or the like. These locks, cables and/or chains, must be either carried by a bicycle rider, or somehow wrapped around or placed on the frame or some other portion of the bicycle, out of the way, for later removal and use when it is desired to lock the bicycle. However, because of their weight and/or size, many bicycle riders forget to or refuse to take such locks, cables and/or chains with them. Such riders, instead, prefer to always remain with their bicycles, or attempt to keep their bicycles in sight if they must leave it for any reason. Such riders, therefore, risk the loss of their bicycles because of the inconvenience in using or in carrying known bicycle locks, cables and/or chains with them. This loss could be prevented if a light weight, easy to use and readily available bicycle lock was available.
Furthermore, with the advent of expensive, lightweight bicycles having quick disconnect front wheels, it is even more important for the rider of such a bicycle to have a readily available and easy to use bicycle lock when the bike is left unattended. Such a lock must not only secure the bicycle but must also pass through and secure the front wheel, whether connected to or removed from the bicycle, so that it may not be taken, if only the frame of the bicycle is secured. Also, the bicycle lock should be light in weight and capable of not being easily forgotten or lost to enable riders of such lightweight, expensive bicycles to meet their perceived needs.
One proposed solution to some of the above set forth concerns is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,387, Which discloses a bicycle lock that may be permanently mounted on the frame of a bicycle. The mounting of the lock is accomplished by hinged half sections which clamp together over a bicycle frame and which are secured in this position by various means such as tabs, screws, or the like. The lock includes a hollow interior in which a cable is resiliently retained and which cable is pulled from the interior of the lock, against the action of the resilient cable retaining means, to lock the bicycle to a secure post, or the like. When not in use, the cable is returned into the hollow interior, by action of the resilient retaining means.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,451,100, a bicycle lock is set forth in which the lock includes a hollow housing which is normally affixed to the tubular frame of a bicycle by a tubular clip enclosing the horizontal bar of the frame. A locking chain is wound around an inner tube rotatably mounted within the housing. The chain is secured at one end within the housing and is pulled from the housing against the biasing action of a coiled spring. The chain is held in position, when pulled from the housing, by means of a ratchet and pawl holding means. The chain is returned to the interior of the lock housing by releasing the ratchet and pawl holding means, whereby the coiled spring acts to rewind the chain onto the inner tube.
Other proposed solutions include the use of cable or chain locking means held within the hollow interior portion of one of the elements of various bicycle frames. These cable or chain locking means are pulled from within and reinserted back into the hollow interior portions where they are stored, and include various means for securely holding them within the interior of the frames and for bringing them back into the frame when the cables or chains are not in use.
While the foregoing described prior art structures have provided some limited improvements and overcome some of the problems encountered when the rider forgets or fails to take a lock, cable and/or chain for a bicycle with him, they tend to be complex and expensive or add unneeded weight to a bicycle. Therefore, there remains a need in the bicycle lock art for a simple, lightweight lock that may be purchased off the shelf and which may be quickly and easily secured to the tubular frame of any size bicycle, in substantially any position, so as to be readily available and easily used. Furthermore, there exists the need for a method of easily affixing a tubular lock to the tubular frame of a bicycle.